ua1flyer - A "Real" Up-In-The-Air GS
Apr 25, 2017, 8:44 am
#1126
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: ORD
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 659
Seems like it was just yesterday we celebrated 10 million miles.Last week when I passed 16 million both the staff in Newark and Chcago went out of there way to celebrate the milestone. Classy. Great people. Just passed 400,000 PQM for the year. I am finding the service much more consistently good.
What a month! First a thank you to all the global service people that went out of there way to celebrate my 17 million miles with United. Japan, Australia, London, my United "phone family" Newark and especially the global first team in Chicago ..all close friends. Also a shout out to my flying friends and Flyertalk buddies . I am So lucky to have such fiends. Jonathan, your gift was unbelievable! Dave, you are the man. Being able to share the Chicago celebration with my wife was perfect. I am humbled to be able to call all of you friends. I am blessed. I will visit with my global service friends tonight at Tokyo and head back to Chicago as I cross 800,000 PQM for the year. Thanks again to all. Tom
April 16th, 2015 - 16 Million Miles
April 16th, 2016 - 17 Million Miles
April 25th, 2017 - 18 Million Miles
Tom, you are an absolute legend! At this pace, you'll be at 20MM in April of 2019!
I hope your flight tonight goes well! I also hope you landed seat 1K
Apr 25, 2017, 8:42 pm
#1128
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DTW/MBS
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Formerly Starbucks Gold
Posts: 3,525
Also, I used the contact button on your website a couple days ago (asking if you were looking for an apprentice) - I'm still trying to be an aspiring road warrior - not expecting anyone or anybody to actually look at it. I just got back from Finland today, and turned on my phone to have a voicemail... from you...
I feel like a teenage girl just got a call from her celebrity crush.
Happy Travels!
Apr 25, 2017, 9:26 pm
#1129
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,337
It has been almost 9 years since we got to know you from the "Team Competition"! Over the past 9 years, we have enjoyed reading your stories and admire your accomplishments.
I think it is worth noting that your milestones will likely to stand for at least a generation before anyone even comes to close to, not just your total, but pace and longivity in accomplishing the milestones. It seems you are still going strong and shows no signs of slowing down, perhasp I am underestimating the "One generation" remark.
Again, congratulations!
Apr 25, 2017, 9:46 pm
#1131
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 578
Huge congratulations, that's an amazing mark to hit. I hope to even hit 1mm one day 
Quick question to anyone in this thread: is this 18m as tabulated by United? If that's the case, it only includes revenue flights, right? That would mean a very sizable redeemable mileage balance right? Sounds like a really fun retirement
Quick question to anyone in this thread: is this 18m as tabulated by United? If that's the case, it only includes revenue flights, right? That would mean a very sizable redeemable mileage balance right? Sounds like a really fun retirement
Apr 26, 2017, 1:17 pm
#1134
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redwood City, CA USA (SFO/SJC)
Programs: 1K 2010, 1P in 2011, Plat for 2012,13,14,15 & 2016. Gold in 17 & 18, Plat since
Posts: 8,826
(Or I could joke and suggest Tom would want us to know that true happiness comes from buying a nice new car every couple of years!
)
Apr 26, 2017, 3:56 pm
#1135
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: UA 1K 1.45MM, Marriott+SPG Plat, Clear, Nexus, Global Entry and MEX Viajero Confiable
Posts: 1,777
Apr 30, 2017, 2:33 am
#1138
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: SMF
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP
Posts: 1,537
Lurker
Apr 30, 2017, 4:03 am
#1139
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Rowley, MA / Edgartown, MA / Christiansted, St. Croix (USVI)
Programs: UA LT GS/4.96MM, Marriott LT Titanium, IHG Platinum, Global Entry, TSA Pre✓, Korea SeS, APEC
Posts: 579
The Math: 1M BIS miles is 2,740 miles a day (365 days/year). Longer than SFO to BOS, which is a 5+ hour flight.
The Longevity: It would take 6,570 days flying 2,740 miles (5+ hours a day), without a single day off to hit 18M miles. Run that slowly through your brain.
Talk about your Ever-ready Bunny. If you don't just love travel no-one, having achieved any level of success, would tolerate this sustained effort. Even flying First Class all the time wouldn't make it endurable over that stretch of time.
More flying trivia/data:
The highest time pilot in history is Ed Long (1915 to 1999) who accumulated 65,000 hours of flying time during his very long career. Tom's 6,570 days X 2,740 miles (assuming an average of 5.5 hours for that distance) = 36,135 hours. That's 55.6% of the flight time of the worlds highest time ever pilot, and flying isn't Tom's profession.
Mind you, I haven't included any non-UA BIS mileage. If you assume a conservative 10%, he sitting at roughly 40,000 hours 'up in the air'.
Conclusion: He must enjoy traveling.
My biggest question is what's he going to do when he retires, travel
Apr 30, 2017, 1:07 pm
#1140
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ord,ewr
Programs: Lifetime UA GS 22 million,AA 1m ,Hilton Li fetime diamond,marriott lifetime platinum hyatt diamond
Posts: 1,000
Just passed 1 million PQM on my way to Sydney. A quick stop here and then off to a private island in Fiji that a friend of mine owns for a couple days of R& R.